Welcome 2011!!!

I'm starting out the new year by "borrowing" some ideas from a friend (thank you woollypeaches!).  So far, so good on reading my daily Bible (yes, it's only day 3, but hey, I'm still doing it) and just as a side note, the Wii Fit Plus is KICKING MY BUTT - who knew doing yoga on a simple balance board would prove so difficult?  I'm finding out very quickly just how tight my muscles are from taking up running recently and how much my body has missed yoga and pilates :(

So here's my list of "Things To Do" in 2011 (NOT resolutions, because who actually keeps those anyway?!?!)

(1) 11 Days of Prayer and Fasting throughout the year (11th of every month)

(2) 11 minutes with God everyday

(3) $11 per month to feed and clothe the homeless in our community.

(4) 11 dates with my husband (not necessarily involving money, but definitely a DATE NIGHT w/out baby!)

(5) 11 dates with my family(specific time set aside to do things together)

(6) 11 dates with my friends (GIRL TIME!!!)

(7) 11 verses to memorize this year

(8) 11 minutes of exercise every day

(9) 11 new family memories  (places, things, people, adventures, learn something new, etc.)

(10) 11 books to read

(11) 11 things crossed of my own "Bucket List"

I think it's super-important to set goals and I also think that unless someone knows about them, no one can hold you accountable to achieve them but you...and we all know how far we get in life on our own, haha!  So here's to 2011 and to accomplishing goals, love, joy, peace, health and happiness!!!

Seasons

To everything turn, turn, turn....I love the changing of the seasons.  Well really I just love seasons - 4 of them please - the basic spring, summer, fall and winter. Here we seem to have spring for 4 weeks, summer for 6 months, fall for 4 weeks and something that passes for winter for 4 months...I need distinction.  As in 4 distinct seasons, rather than hot, hot, and hotter :)

Which brings me to my thought for the day:  Why do I crave seasonal changes in my life, but push back against other changes?  By that I mean, changes in careers, friendships, hobbies, etc.  It seems that I am a creature of habit to some extent, but am seeking new habits of raising my daughter, fostering new friendships, growing in my spirituality and taking on a new exercise hobby.

They say it takes 21 days for something to become a habit (some research offers varying lengths of time, but this is the most consistently touted).  I suppose that can be applied to all areas of our lives.  21 days to get used to a new diet, 21 days to like a new exercise regime, 21 days to make daily quiet time a habit, etc. 

So why is it then, that if it takes at least 21 days for something to become a part of our lives, that same something can oh-so-quickly depart from our lives in much less time?  For example, when I get too busy, too tired, or too whatever, that 30 minute jog is one of the first things I'll toss aside even though it took me weeks to build up to that and I know the positive effects it has on both my body and my mind.  Or the daily quiet time spent reading, meditating, journaling, praying, whatever, can be pushed back when there's laundry to do, email to check, dishes to wash, diapers to change or dinner to make.

Why, when we know full well the positive benefits of doing something, do we "change seasons" and allow it to be cast aside?  When something requires a little extra work or some discipline, those are the first to go.  It's all about priorities in your life.  Perhaps it's like that with some relationships too - the ones that are worth it and are deemed high-priority are the ones we work on and cultivate.  The ones that maybe require 'too much' are the ones we let go of.  Maybe it's all a part of the seasons - everyone and everything comes into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime...

Fall Cleaning

As I'm cleaning out our house and piling things in our garage for this weekend's garage sale, I am overwhelmed at the sheer volume of "stuff" I/we have accumulated.  We have so many clothes/shoes/books/photo albums/gift bags/kitchen gadgets, etc that I just don't know what to do with it all.  How did all of this even fit in our house to begin with?  Where did we put it?  Why did we have it?  Did we even use it?  

And then another question hits me - how often do we clean out our hearts?  Do we store things in there that should be thrown out too?  I'm sure we all do - I know I am guilty of it.  Maybe as I'm cleaning out my house it's also time to clean out my heart.  Get rid of some of the hurts I am, for some reason, holding onto.  Get rid of the feelings about things that have happened in the past that should stay in the past.  Learn what I need to learn from those experiences and move on.  Tear it up, throw it out, and move on.

So that is my task for this week as we gear up for our Garage Sale this Saturday.  Not only cleaning out my house, but cleaning out my heart and soul as well.  Only good things should be in there - good, relevant, helpful things.  And those things won't need a price tag like the newborn clothes that Reagan has outgrown will!

"Above all else, guard your heart." Proverbs 4:23

my little angel

 can hardly believe that our little angel is 6 months old - she's on the verge of crawling, is eating real baby food and is such a happy baby!  I melt when she smiles at me in the morning - what an amazing adventure this has been so far - we are so blessed and looking forward to the wonder to come!

4theloveoffocus.com

All I am is Yours

My beautiful princess is napping (shameless plug for her picture in a baby contest to follow!) and I am considering a nap myself...but my head just won't stop churning out random thoughts.

Russell and I had a date night last night - dinner with friends followed by a Night of Worship at Buckhead Church.  It was good - different, but good.  The main thing that stands out for me from last night was communion.  Although the service sort of skimmed over it without noting its significance and importance, I was moved beyond words.  I always get choked up during communion, or any time I actually allow myself to think of the price paid on the cross for me.  But last night was overwhelmingly different - I flashed to the thought of putting MY own child through that for other random people to be saved.  I couldn't breathe at that thought - I couldn't do it - I couldn't knowingly put my precious daughter through that pain and suffering...but He did...for me...when I think about her infectious laughter and sparkling smile...I just couldn't...those sounds are some of the most wonderful sounds I've ever heard.  I couldn't end them...I just couldn't...

"I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all.  I'll stand, my soul, Lord, to You surrendered.  All I am is Yours."  That song has been playing in my head all day and all last night.  Wow, just wow.

Okay, so now that I'm a puddle again, here's the shameless plug to vote for Reagan's pictures in the baby modeling search:  http://modelsearch.parenting.com/contests/voteformyentry/368571?sk=4e5%25 AND http://modelsearch.parenting.com/contests/showentry/368583.   Thanks for helping to save for her college education, haha :-)

It's 3am

Well, not really...it was 4:15am, but I love Matchbox 20 so that was my little shout-out.  Peace comes at the oddest hours sometimes.  After feeding my baby girl in the middle of the night (she was so hungry!  she's normally been sleeping through the night, about 10-11 hours), she fell asleep on my shoulder.  Her sweet little head rested against my cheek and she sighed contentedly in her sleep.  Ah, peace and perfection, all in one.

Made me thankful for that precious moment with her and put my mind at ease about some very troublesome things that have been going on lately.  Helped me to remember that my Father will hold me like that in the middle of the night - or whenever I need Him.  He comforts those in need - all we have to do is ask for His perfect peace and He freely gives.  The outcome of the situation may not be exactly what we wanted, but He will give us a peace about it - knowing that He is in control and perhaps the bigger picture has a better outlook than the small version we see now. 

I have to trust in the good and fairness of it all, right?  Haha, wish life was always good and fair, but at least I can be in the process.  So goodnight...and shalom (peace).

His Help Meet

I'm reading a book for an online bible study called, "Created to be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl.  WOW!  What a great way to view marriage - and so true.  I was created to be my husband's helper.  Just as Eve was created from Adam's rib to be his helper. 

So sad that our society has misconstrued the roles of a husband and wife so badly that it is rare to find a woman who believes she is her husband's helper.  But if we get out of alignment with how marriage was designed, all too many times, problems occur.  We all know what kind of problems occur when one spouse makes bad decisions, but are we aware of what problems occur when one spouse puts him/herself ahead of the other and out of whack with God's design?  I'm referring to a wife's respect of her husband - submitting to his guidance and leadership - just as the husband respects God's plan and submits to His guidance and leadership.  When one of these is out of line, the whole marriage gets off balance. 

We were created to become closer to God as we grow closer to each other.  An inverted triangle, if you will.  But when we don't share the journey and follow the design, that triangle is uneven and the marriage becomes unbalanced. 

It's a daily struggle to give yourself to your spouse, in mind, body and spirit.  This same struggle exists in giving ourselves to a higher power's design for our lives and for our marriages.  I am so blessed to have married the man of my dreams and cannot wait to see the adventures that lie before us!